1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging system for medical diagnosis that displays the medical image data of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, an X-ray diagnostic apparatus, an endoscopic apparatus, an X-ray computed tomography apparatus, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, a nuclear medicine apparatus, and the like. In particular, the invention relates to an improved display function for help information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Because methods of operating imaging systems for medical diagnosis are extremely complex and different manufacturers often have different operating procedures, an operator frequently needs information about how to operate a system during its operation.
Because of this, in ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, X-ray diagnostic apparatus, endoscopic apparatus, X-ray computed tomography apparatus, magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, and nuclear medicine apparatus of the prior art, information about methods of operation are displayed as help information to provide support to the operator.
In the prior art, there are two primary methods of searching for help information, one of which involves the entry of a search keyword (or keywords) and the other involving the selection of classes of pre-determined operational circumstances, which are presented as units of ten, arranged in a tree-form. However, when the amount of help information accumulated is large, the operator must sort through large quantities of help information until the desired help information is found and this places a burden on the operator.
Previously known methods of displaying help information include the location of a help button on various operation screens with the necessary help information is displayed on the operating screens. However, this method necessitates the installation of a help button on each operating screen and the provision of help information corresponding to each of these help buttons. Because of this, when operating screens are designed, it is necessary to take into account how help information will be dealt with on each screen, which imposes a burden on the programmer. It is generally difficult to produce a system that users find satisfactory.
Additionally, the prior art help information shown concerns only the operation of the apparatus. In some cases, however, it is desirable to have clinical information about the study region, images of previous clinical examples and/or cautions for the study. In the prior art, such information must be found from books or other literature or from a separate personal computer, or the like.